Why pursue a WIPO Joint Master’s Degree Program in IP?
October 7, 2024
WIPO Academy’s Joint Master’s Degree Programs equip graduates with the knowledge and skills they need to thrive in the competitive job market and global intellectual property (IP) ecosystem. Recently, all five cohorts of the Joint Master’s Degree Program in IP and Innovation (MIPI) jointly offered by WIPO, the National Institute of Industrial Property of Argentina and the University of San Andrés were surveyed, and 97% of graduates reported that they are employed.
The MIPI program first launched in 2018 and is WIPO’s only current Joint Master’s Program offering in Spanish and in Latin America.
It has been an incredible honor to collaborate with WIPO Academy in designing and directing this Joint Master’s Program for Latin America over the past seven years. In that time, we’ve had the privilege of guiding numerous talented young IP professionals from across Latin America, watching them grow and excel. As we look ahead, we remain deeply committed to fostering the advancement of intellectual property in the region and nurturing the next generation of leaders in this rapidly evolving field, which plays such a vital role in driving innovation across Latin America.Professor María de Lourdes Vazquez, Dean of the Law School at the University of San Andrés, Argentina
An alumni check-in
Over 100 graduates have successfully completed the program since its inception, and have credited the program with upskilling them to meet the needs of the current job market. Of the graduates who are employed, 55% reported that they work in government offices, including IP offices, 32% indicated that they are employed in the private sector (mostly in law firms and start-ups) and 13% said that they are in academia.
In addition to praising the practical nature of the MIPI, graduates really appreciated:
- The interdisciplinary courses offered in the curriculum;
- The learning environment at the University of San Andrés;
- The support provided by the teachers on the program;
- The strong relevance of the coursework to their professional growth; and
- the supportive alumni network across Latin America.
Most alumni of the MIPI are also leading by example, with 85% of surveyed graduates indicating that they are users of the IP system. The majority have mentioned that they have registered trademarks (41%) and copyright (28%). As the careers of MIPI alumni continue to flourish across industries, and with their exemplary track-record, they reaffirm the main goal of the MIPI, which is to leverage IP education to accelerate innovation across Latin America and beyond.
What our alumni are saying?
I strongly encourage my fellow Latin American scholars to enroll in the Joint Master’s Program in IP and Innovation offered by WIPO and the University of San Andrés, because you won’t only walk away with the knowledge to strengthen society, but you will also gain a supportive community of alumni from the program. It really creates a fertile ground to build a scholarly community, and an invaluable support system.Micaela Mantegna, Abogamer and Berkman Klein Center at Harvard affiliate and TED Fellow
To keep in touch with its alumni the WIPO Academy launched the WIPO International Network for IP Education (WINIPE) in 2022 as a platform for sharing ideas, IP academic resources, brochures, curricula, syllabi and experiences among the experts, current participants and alumni of the Joint Master’s Degree Programs. Graduates of the programs can also share experiences and network through the alumni community on LinkedIn by joining the WIPO Academy’s official “Academy Community”.
Do you want to be part of the class of 2025?
The WIPO Academy offers a number of higher education programs in IP that are jointly run with partner universities and governments.
Interested candidates can apply for a graduate degree in IP on the WIPO Academy website.